Here's a list of things I will not shoot under normal circumstances for one reason or another. These are subjects that either have been photographed ad nauseum in the past by both myself and others or, in the case of homeless people, I feel that using them as photographic fodder is ethically questionable. By putting them on this list it helps me to move on to new photographic territory.

The list is neither final nor absolute, because under the right circumstances pretty much anything can be part of a compelling image.

The List:...

So what you're saying is that you don't like other peoples' pictures of what's on your proscription list, but your photos of said subjects are OK because they are made "under the right circumstances" and thus in "new photographic territory" ?

So what you're saying is that you don't like other peoples' pictures of what's on your proscription list, but your photos of said subjects are OK because they are made "under the right circumstances" and thus in "new photographic territory" ?

No, I'm not saying that at all. Let me repeat: the list is only for myself; it's not what I think others should be doing. There of lots of great photographers who can produce interesting photos of those things on my list better than I can. In a way my list is a recognition of my own difficulty in rising above mediocrity when confronted by certain subjects.

Seems strange to me that anyone aspiring to be a photographer would truncate his alternatives that way. Here's the kind of thing you might be missing:

This guy -- you'd call him "homeless," I'd call him a "hobo" -- saw me on the street with a camera and said, "Take my picture." So I took his picture. Back in my office I made a 3.5 x 5 print, stuck it in a plastic cover, and stuck it in my pocket. I carried it with me on the street for a week or so until I saw him again. When I gave him the picture he started to cry. Finally, he said, "That's the first time anybody's taken my picture in twenty years."

No, I'm not saying that at all. Let me repeat: the list is only for myself; it's not what I think others should be doing. There of lots of great photographers who can produce interesting photos of those things on my list better than I can. In a way my list is a recognition of my own difficulty in rising above mediocrity when confronted by certain subjects.

List, or no list--if it helps you to take better pictures I say go with whatever works for you.

Whether it was stated or not, I suspect that the OP suffers from a similar condition as do I: the difficulty in finding anything that really, honestly, seems worth the trouble shooting.

It is oh so easy to point and make a picture; the difficult part is fnding one that, before you shoot it, you can believe is worth the hours of boredom in front of a computer. There's a big difference doing something because you wonder if you can, and doing it because you know you can but wonder about its value.

I think you have mainly been off the mark in trying to nail the OIP for his thoughts. In fact, I even start to wonder if being open about how you might feel is a good idea; if you can't be that, here, what's the bloody point?

Michael has an essay "Been There, Done That" that talks about this subject. It starts with animals...every species has been photographed, do we need more?Do any of us think we can improve on Ansel Adams' "Yosemite Valley Clearing Storm" or Edward Weston's "Dunes Oceano"? By this logic we can all unload all of our cameras and gear and just buy postcards or reproductions.

The essay points out that the making of the photograph is often the purpose. Face it, most of us will never be famous or have our work selling like Lik (most of us will never understand why his sells for those prices)....get over it.

Enjoy the process, if you don't want to shot birds, great. Shoot concrete blocks against orange walls, what ever motivates you to get out of the house and forget about work for a few hours.

There is an old saying that goes: "There are no dull subjects, just dull writers." The same thing could be a applied to photography.Cute racoon shots have been done to death, but this one won a cash contest and appeared on the covers of two magazines.Don't shoot the same thing, shoot the same thing differently.

Logged

In the end, the only things that matter are the people we help and the people we hurt. Google Ron Kruger and click on any link to Photoshelter

There is an old saying that goes: "There are no dull subjects, just dull writers." The same thing could be a applied to photography.Cute racoon shots have been done to death, but this one won a cash contest and appeared on the covers of two magazines.Don't shoot the same thing, shoot the same thing differently.

I shoot whatever I find interesting, or curious, or enchanting, or unusual, or specatular, or confronting, or revealing, or memorable, or fascinating, or exciting, or deplorable, or disgraceful, or newsworthy, or meaningful in any way, or simply beautiful.

There are occasions when I may humour someone and take an obligatory shot of a scene that doesn't interest me.

I shoot whatever I find interesting, or curious, or enchanting, or unusual, or specatular, or confronting, or revealing, or memorable, or fascinating, or exciting, or deplorable, or disgraceful, or newsworthy, or meaningful in any way, or simply beautiful.

There are occasions when I may humour someone and take an obligatory shot of a scene that doesn't interest me.

I shoot whatever I find interesting, or curious, or enchanting, or unusual, or specatular, or confronting, or revealing, or memorable, or fascinating, or exciting, or deplorable, or disgraceful, or newsworthy, or meaningful in any way, or simply beautiful.

There are occasions when I may humour someone and take an obligatory shot of a scene that doesn't interest me.